Brain rot isn't some scary disease from a horror movie; it's what happens when you spend too much time on mindless activities like scrolling, binge-watching, or endlessly clicking on clickbait. That feeling when you watch so much short content that you start dreaming in 15-second clips—that's brain rot creeping in.
On a normal day, when you are trying to study for an upcoming exam, you have your textbooks open, something to drink, and you are determined to make this study session count. Just as you are about to start, you want to check your phone, just to quickly check a few things. You open Instagram and watch one reel, but then you swipe up, and then the next, and then the next. Before you know it, an hour has passed. You've been watching a dancing dog, some random hacks you'll never try—time flies when you're having fun, right? Your textbooks are still lying there, and you can't remember what you were supposed to be reading or studying. That's brain rot in action.
You're trying to get back into your study groove, but it's hard to focus. It takes about 20 minutes to regain full focus after a distraction. Every time you see something online, you're setting yourself back even further. This thing doesn't just affect your study session; it starts to spill over into the rest of your day. You decide to take a break from studying and grab some lunch. While eating, you absentmindedly scroll through your phone again. This time, somewhere else, and by the time you finish your lunch, another hour has passed. You were supposed to do something, but now you feel sluggish. The next morning, you wake up feeling groggy because you were up late making up for the lost time. You drag yourself out of bed, already dreading the day, and the cycle continues.
This might sound dramatic, but excessive information can lead to cognitive overload. Our brains are not designed to handle the constant barrage of information we get online. It's like trying to drink water from a firehose—too much, too fast. This leads to less activity in areas of the brain associated with decision-making and impulse control. This means spending too much time online can actually change the way your brain works, making it harder to think clearly and make good decisions. Every new thing on the scroll is a trigger to release dopamine, which is the same chemical released when you have your favorite food. It feels good, so you keep coming back for more. But here's the catch: the more you use social media, the more you need to feel that same level of satisfaction. It's like a drug. Over time, your brain gets used to the constant hits of dopamine, and you start needing more and more to feel the same effect. This is a digital dependency. You start comparing—"Why does their life look better than mine?" Spoiler alert: it's not. People only post the highlights, the good moments. It's like comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel. Social media is a master at destroying your attention span. Think about it: you are reading an article on your phone and a notification pops up; you check it, respond to a message, maybe like a couple of posts, and by the time you go back to the article, you forget what you were reading. This constant interruption trains your brain to be easily distracted. Ironically, "social" media can make you feel more isolated. Sure, you are connected to hundreds of people, but how many of those connections are meaningful? Studies have shown that the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to feel lonely. You're replacing your real-life interactions with virtual ones, and that's just not the same. Humans are wired for hearing someone's voice or seeing expressions.
Okay, enough doom and gloom. Let's talk about how to keep our brains sharp and healthy. Trust me, it's not all bad news. We can outsmart brain rot with a few fun and practical steps. You know that feeling when you are scrolling through Instagram and see your high school friend post of a vacation in Bali, and you're sitting in your sweatpants with a snack lying around you. Here's what you can do: ignore these things that make you feel like a potato. You don't need to see someone's perfect family pic or someone's insane six-pack abs every day. Now, fill your feed with stuff that actually makes you happy. Call a friend, go for a walk, do things that actually make you connected. Remember the last time you had a deep conversation with a friend? That feeling of being truly understood or connected—you won't get that from liking a post or sharing a meme. Engage in activities that acquire your full attention and bring you joy, like reading a book, playing a sport, or picking up a new hobby.